The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Colocasia commonly known as the taro plant or elephant ears. Colocasia is grown as a food crop and for use as an ornamental plant in containers or in the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Colocasia esculenta and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘Tropical Storm’.
Colocasia is a tuberous rooted perennial which is native to tropical Asia and Polynesia. Native plants of Colocasia grow to 1.5 m to 2 m in height from starchy tubers. The leaves of Colocasia are heart-shaped and typically are very large in size.
The new Colocasia variety named ‘Tropical Storm’ is the product of a formal breeding program carried out in a cultivated area in Kula, Hi. The purpose of the breeding program is to develop new commercial varieties by combining attributes not found in currently commercially available varieties.
‘Tropical Storm’ is a seedling selection from the controlled pollination of the Colocasia variety named ‘Black Magic’ (unpatented) as the female parent variety by brushing pollen from the Colocasia variety ‘Nancy's Revenge’ (unpatented) as male parent. Seeds were allowed to mature within the developing fruits that formed after pollination. Seeds were removed around 45 days after pollination, and sown. From the resulting seedlings, the inventor selected ‘Tropical Storm’ in 2007.
‘Tropical Storm’ exhibits a compact plant habit with multiple basal branches giving rise to a high leaf count. The leaves of ‘Tropical Storm’ are purple-black in color except for a prominent contrasting cream-yellow central streak.
The most commonly employed means of asexual propagation of the genus Colocasia is the excision and replanting of a shoot which consists of the apical 1 cm to 2 cm portion of the plant corm with the attached basal 15 cm to 20 cm portion of the petiole. In regions of the world where Colocasia is grown, this plant shoot is known as a “huli”, and the means of propagation is known as “huli propagation”. Asexual propagation by “huli propagation” of ‘Tropical Storm’ began in 2007 at 454 Mauna Place, Kula, Hi. by the inventor using huli propagation whereby the apical shoots are separated from the plant by cutting the shoot at the top of the corm immediately above the newest leaf scar and planted. Evaluation in field and pot studies have shown the unique features of ‘Tropical Storm’ to be stable, uniform, and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.